A hare is let loose in the forest, a dog gives chase and the boy tears after them, his father in tentative pursuit. Minutes pass, the forest falls silent, and when the boy re-enters the frame, something has changed: he now speaks with the voice of his dead mother.

A metaphysical ghost story capturing a way of life that’s teetering on the brink of disappearance, Zhang Hanyi’s debut casts a lyrical look at death, rebirth, and possession. This rallying cry against the forces of modernization was produced by none other than Jia Zhangke!